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hand pain relief

Named after the Swiss surgeon, Dr. Fritz De Quervain, who first identified the condition, De Quervain tenosynovitis, more commonly referred to as De Quervain’s disease, is a hand condition affecting a patient’s ability to move his or her thumb. This happens when the tendons on the thumb side of the wrist become swollen, causing pain when twisting, grasping or making a fist.

The causes of this painful hand condition include chronic overuse of the wrist, direct injury to the wrist or tendon area, and inflammatory arthritis. One interesting fact about De Quervain tenosynovitis is that women are more likely than men to suffer from this condition, especially after pregnancy. It used to be referred to as washerwoman’s sprain or mother’s wrist.

De Quervain’s Treatment

Treatment for De Quervain’s disease is aimed at reducing inflammation, maintaining movement in the thumb and preventing recurrence. In order to properly diagnose the condition, a hand surgeon will perform a simple test called the Finkelstein’s Test. The patient makes a fist with their fingers closed over the thumb with the wrist angled towards their little finger. If this causes pain on the thumb side of your wrist, chances are it’s De Quervain’s disease.

De Quervain’s treatment options consist of the following:

A splint, worn every day and night for 4-6 weeks, to hold the affected area firm and still

Ice applied to the affected area in order to reduce inflammation

Anti-inflammatory medications, such as naproxen or ibuprofen, to reduce pain and swelling

Corticosteroids injections to relieve pain and inflammation

In cases where the condition does not respond to conventional treatment options, surgery may need to be considered. At MISI, our approach involves a 2cm incision over the affected tendons in the wrist area in order to release the pressure and allow more room for tendon movement. This procedure takes as little as seven minutes with an average recovery period of seven days.

A broken hand is never a condition to be taken lightly. Given we rely so heavily on using our hands, even a slight loss of function can result in a lifelong disability. Finding hand pain relief from a broken hand often requires a visit to a doctor and possible rehabilitation care.

The Hand Structure and How it can Break

A human hand, made up of 27 bones, is quite complex and can be broken down into several categories:

The carpal bones, eight in all, are the bones found in the wrist.

The five metacarpals are located within the palm of your hand and are connected to the carpal bones.

The phalanges are the small bones that form the fingers of the hand. There are 14 in total, with two phalanges in each thumb and three in each finger.

In addition to the 27 hand bones, there are the knuckles, which are known as the metacarpal-phalangeal joints. Also in the hand are the PIP and DIP joints. The PIP joint, or proximal interphalangeal, is the joint closest to the palm, and the DIP joint, or distal interphalangeal joint, is the closest joint to the fingertips.

The hand does not break easily, but it can occur due to improperly using tools, blunt trauma, falls, crush injuries or sports injuries. Tennis, baseball and softball players are predominantly at risk of injuring their hand.

Signs, Symptoms and Treatment of a Hand Injury

Due to the intense nature of a hand injury, the symptoms are not difficult to spot. Signs that you’ve broken your hand include difficulty gripping or moving the hand, swelling, pain, bruising, weakness or misaligned fingers.

The most important thing to remember about a suspected hand injury is that if left untreated, it can cause permanent damage to bones, joints, nerves and tendons. That is why it’s so important for a doctor to take an X-ray, examine the hand immediately and determine the best course of treatment. Treatment depends on a variety of factors, from location of injury to length of time between injury and treatment. Hand pain relief can usually be achieved with medications and, in some cases, with surgery.

Preventing Hand Injuries

The vast majority of hand injuries can be prevented. Below are some tips on how to prevent a hand injury: